I Don't Want to Grow Up
by Xiao Pai
Summary: For Really Big Hat's contest.Luna's thirteenth birthday is coming up,but she doesn't want to become a teen and forget about the Kids Next Door.Luckily for her somebody doesn't want to either,and just maybe,they'll get through it together.


**I'VE JOINED ANOTHER CONTEST! *dies* I've got writer's block, so hopefully oneshots will help me out! I'm not sure if this should be classified under Angst, but I tried!**_  
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><p><em>Rain… rain… go away… come again another day…<em>

Raindrops pattered onto the sidewalk, mercilessly pelting those who dared to venture out in the rain with liquid rocks that could actually make you fall down in a muddy puddle.

At this time, you would see a young girl the age of twelve sitting on the sidewalk, her black hair shielding her face from any passerby that actually ventured out in the dangerously fast pouring rain. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, which were bent to cradle her chin. Her violet poufy sleeved shirt was soaked from the rain, and so were her black tights and violet rubber shoes. A wilting blue flower was tucked in her hair, and continued to wilt further as the rain pattered on.

If you looked closer, you would see tears running down the young girl's face, the reason for her sorrow unknown at first. Her eyes were closed, and once you look up from her face to the silhouettes in the window of her house, you would see mainly a few silhouettes holding a few things that looked vaguely like balloons and cake being rushed around the house.

This girl's name was Luna Martinez, and currently she was in a state of ultimate despair. Her thirteenth birthday was coming up in a few days, and she didn't want to get decommissioned. Heck, it was a pretty trivial thing, but turning thirteen meant you would be decommissioned, and you would lose all memories of one of the best organizations of all time: the Kids Next Door.

The Kids Next Door was a worldwide organization that fought adult tyranny, and Luna was part of it. She belonged to Sector R of the Philippine branch of the Kids Next Door, but she was relocated for a few weeks to the tree house of Sector V, to help in defeating the various adults that tried to make kids do stuff.

It wasn't a success.

She had decided to stay for a few more months, just until they were sure that the adults wouldn't bother other kids for a few weeks until Luna left, so her parents – who were coincidentally aware of Luna being in the Kids Next Door – were messaged, and they moved temporarily to America with her younger brother, Andrei Martinez.

Surges of regret coursed through Luna as she continued to cry quietly, her eyes closing momentarily. _Why can't I just be a kid forever? _She thought miserably, wiping her tears away. It was hopeless, crying in the rain. Her salty tears would simply be washed away by the pouring rain. _I hate teenagers, but why do I have to be one?_

It was then that Luna heard splashing sounds approaching her. They were subtle, but not subtle enough that Luna couldn't hear them. Still, she chose to ignore the splashing sounds to continue crying. She knew, even at the age of eleven, that she would get decommissioned sooner or later, but she didn't want to get decommissioned. She wanted to be part of the Teens Next Door, who were a group of undercover teens that would infiltrate the world of teenagers. But alas, her hopes were crushed when she remembered Numbuh 86's – no, Fanny Fulbright's – words.

"_Ya ain't going to be in the Kids Next Door for long, kid." The Irish girl said absently, her accent completely setting off the mood in the conversation. She continued to type on a computer, her thoughts filled with regret for what she was going to say about the situation. Luna would probably want her to elaborate._

_Luna blinked. "What? Why not?" She twirled one lock of her hair with a finger lazily, obviously not getting the point of Fanny's words._

"_You're scheduled for decommissioning two days after your birthday, Numbuh 6.13." Fanny continued, her voice growing serious as she realized Luna wasn't taking her seriously. Being the Head of Decommissioning, she had developed a sense when she wasn't taken seriously. "If ya ain't taking me seriously, check this out."_

_Luna cocked her head curiously, but otherwise she peered over Fanny's shoulder to see the following words:_

'_NUMBUH 6.13, SCHEDULED FOR DECOMMISSIONING NEXT FRIDAY.'_

"_No…" Luna backed away, obviously not believing what she was seeing. "That… that's not true!"_

"_Luna…" Fanny tried to reason with the terror-stricken twelve year old, but said girl had fled Fanny's office, leaving the Irish girl to continue typing away at the computer._

Once the flashback ended, Luna opened her eyes and looked at her left, not daring to look at the house beside hers, where Sector V's tree house stood, part of the Uno household. They were probably having hot chocolate inside the tree house, but Luna didn't care. She would become their enemy once she was decommissioned, anyway.

Closing her eyes once again, Luna just missed a not-so-tall boy's figure approaching her from across the street, a blue umbrella in hand. This boy's name was Bruce, and he was also twelve years old. He was one of the Delightful Children From Down The Lane, the American version of the Insane Knife Loving Quadruplets Hidden In The Mountain, who were the Philippine Kids Next Door's only kid enemies.

The young Delightful had decided to take a walk in the rain, just to clear his thoughts. Apparently, sharing a hive mind with the four other Delightfuls had taken a toll on him again, so he was allowed to go out alone, without the need for his other Delightful 'siblings'. Rain just seemed so relaxing for him, and it usually did work when he needed a break from the group's thoughts.

But this time, it wasn't working as well as he expected. He was thinking about the day he would become a teenager, which would be three days after tomorrow, and he didn't think it was as glorious as he thought it would be. He and his 'siblings' were raised to believe that becoming a teenager was one step closer to becoming a glorious adult, but lately, he was starting to believe that being a kid was better.

_Being a teenager isn't all it's cracked up to be. _Bruce thought darkly, kicking a rock into a nearby puddle. It splashed loudly. _I'd hate myself if I turned like one of those… barbarians._

Crossing the street, he glanced up at Sector V's tree house. _Luna's in there. _He thought wistfully before turning right and continuing to think. He wasn't on the sidewalk, but rather, on the street, because cars didn't pass that particular road on a rainy day. He was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he barely managed to see a figure sitting on the sidewalk, looking as forlorn as he felt.

_Luna…? _Bruce blinked his sky blue eyes before standing directly in front of the girl, just to check if it really was the Filipino operative. Of course, his eyes glittered when he realized he was correct. _It _is _Luna! But… why is she crying?_

His figure unknowingly loomed in front of Luna, making the girl look away from her left to meet his eyes, brown to blue. He looked as troubled as she was.

"Hey." She said weakly, unable to say anything else in the dead silence. She wiped away her tears quickly, so as not to show weakness.

"Hello." He replied coolly, though Luna noticed the flicker of despair in his eyes, and his voice.

The Filipino operative raised her eyebrow warily, knowing that Bruce didn't exactly hate her, but he didn't say he liked her either. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

"Is it that obvious?" Bruce asked, surprised. He quickly reassumed his blank face, only with the added smile.

Luna laughed sadly. "Yes. It's obvious, Bruce."

"What about you?" Bruce pointed out, obviously not wanting to be one-upped by the girl. "You're sadder than us when we find out that Father is most unsatisfied."

Luna sighed, making the blond boy squirm uncomfortably. He hated seeing her gloomy, considering she was like Kuki Sanban in a good mood: happy-go-lucky and cheerful. "I'm turning thirteen in a few days, and, well, you know what happens to Kids Next Door operatives who turn thirteen."

Of course Bruce knew. Operatives became decommissioned, and decommissioning was simply one of the worst fears every Kids Next Door operative housed in their minds. Luna had told this to him before. "Yes, I know." It struck him strange that they were worrying about the same things, but hey, he was Bruce.

"What about you?" Luna asked. "You're as gloomy as me."

Bruce nervously adjusted his grip on his umbrella. "The same reason as you, only instead of not wanting to forget about the Kids Next Door, I don't want to become a lousy barbarian like those other teens." They both laughed nervously, but, with a stroke of luck, their inner turmoil became subdued a bit.

"I guess we think alike, don't we?" Luna teased weakly.

Bruce returned her joke with his own. "Great minds think alike. Why are you out in the rain, anyway? And without an umbrella too!"

"My mother fusses over me over things like this." Luna said simply. "Plus, she wants me to wear this frilly dress that itches everywhere."

The Delightful thoughtfully said, "Hey, if you want, you could join me for a walk. You're soaked to the bone, and you need an umbrella." He stuck out his other hand to Luna.

"Well, OK… Thanks, Bruce." Luna gladly took his hand, which he used to steady her as she stood up shakily. Then, she quickly ducked under the umbrella, admiring the fact that Bruce was nearly as tall as her.

Bruce said, "So, do you still want to be a kid forever?" He gazed at Luna thoughtfully.

"I'd like to be with my friends, but I guess being a teen isn't that bad." Luna smiled as they took a walk in the rain. Yes, becoming a teen and forgetting about the Kids Next Door was bad, but there was one thing that Luna wanted, if ever she really did have to forget. She only wanted to never forget about her friends, and the ones she truly treasured. Bruce really did mean much to her, especially now, and he was taking the time to be with her.

Maybe becoming a teen wouldn't be so bad after all, if you had friends like him.


End file.
